Whit Sunday

What is Whit Sunday?

Whit Sunday, or Pentecost, falls seven weeks after Easter. Christians celebrate the Holy Spirit descending on the apostles, fifty days after the resurrection. The word Pentecost comes from the Greek for 'fiftieth'. It is seen as the birthday of the church.

According to the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit came down on the apostles as 'tongues of fire' while they were gathered in Jerusalem, and they began to speak in other languages. Pentecost was originally a Jewish harvest festival, Shavuot, celebrated fifty days after Passover.

The English name Whitsun probably comes from 'White Sunday', after the white garments traditionally worn for baptisms on this day. Whit Sunday moves with Easter and falls between mid-May and mid-June.

In 2027 it falls on Sunday 16 May.

Whitsun in the UK

Whit Sunday itself is not a bank holiday, and as it falls on a Sunday most people are free anyway. For a long time Whit Monday was a bank holiday, and Whitsun was an important holiday weekend with fairs, processions and church walks, especially in the north of England. Whit Monday was later replaced by the spring bank holiday on the last Monday in May.

Some Whitsun traditions continue, such as Whit walks in parts of Greater Manchester and Morris dancing in villages across England.